


Beyond the Veil

by ren (renegadewriter)



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Community: tf_rare_pairing, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Prompt Fill, tf-rare-pairing Fanwork-A-Thon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2014-08-13
Packaged: 2018-02-12 23:25:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2128392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renegadewriter/pseuds/ren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After so many battles and deaths, Optimus is not dealing well. Close to giving up, he's given a much needed push forward.</p><p>Prompt: loyal til the end, and beyond</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beyond the Veil

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [**Fanwork-A-Thon**](http://tf-rare-pairing.livejournal.com/555225.html) on the LJ community [**TF Rare Pairings**](http://tf-rare-pairing.livejournal.com/).
> 
> Prompt: Ironhide/Optimus - loyal til the end, and beyond

Optimus sat on his berth lost in thought. It had been many nights since he could recharge without feeling ghost touches on his plating. Sometimes he could swear he felt the temperature drop in the room. At times he had to look up from a data pad and scan his surroundings in search of the presence he felt, and the optics that stalked him. But there was never anyone there. 

For many nights Optimus wondered if he might be going crazy.

It had been... _months_ since Sentinel’s betrayal. Since Chicago and the hundreds of deaths. Since Ironhide...  

He hadn’t been present for it, but he'd known the exact moment ‘Hide had ceased from existing. The battle that followed and their exile had kept him from properly mourning his closest friend. Even after they had saved the humans again and things had settled down he hadn’t been able to truly take a few moments to remember the weapons specialist. 

They’d had a memorial service for Ironhide, Q and Wheelie. The humans, those that weren’t close to them hadn’t understood their need to bury their comrades, their friends, their _family_. All the general public saw were scraps of metal.   

In the darkness of his room, Optimus let out a weary and sad sigh. He was tired. Of the war, the death, being homeless and of losing bots he cared for. He just wanted rest. He wanted  _peace._  

Lost in his thoughts and in the oppressing silence, he startled when fingers seemed to ghost over his arm in comfort, or maybe a reprimand. He looked up, seeing nothing. Before he could think about it, the alarms blasted through the NEST base. 

:: Optimus, Decepticon activity detected a few miles outside the city limits.:: Ratchet’s voice came through the comms. 

::All Autobots report to the main hangar.:: He sent firmly. 

His bots responded immediately. Optimus stayed where he was for a few seconds, part of him not wanting to move. Keen optics searched the corners and shadows of the room for any sign of... he didn’t even know what. Shaking himself, the Prime stood up, his joints groaning in protest and left the room with heavy steps. 

 

**0000**

 

He should have expected something like this. Optimus hadn’t been in the best shape lately. Ratchet had wanted to get his servos on him ever since Chicago, but the Prime had wanted to be alone, _still_ wanted to be alone. But war was war, and the Decepticons were threatening the peace of yet another mayor city. 

He could hear his mechs yelling at him. Cursing and throwing their own threats. Three Decepticons had cornered him far away enough from their human comrades and the rest of the Autobots to prove a challenge. A line of Decepticons kept the others from getting close enough to help him, while the other three combined their attacks to hit his more vulnerable parts. Already the Prime had fallen on one knee, his leg having taken a fatal hit. He defended himself with both arms, his blades slashing at the Decepticons. But they soon learned to keep their distance, merely attacking from afar. 

“Optimus!” Ratchet yelled desperately, trying to break through the line of Decepticons with Bumblebee and Sideswipe. 

One of the Decepticons used a sonic attack that left Optimus dazed. White noise assaulted him, and his sight was hazy. Pain erupted from his back as blaster fire hit him. Now on both knees and servos, Optimus felt exhaustion fall over him. 

Primus but he was really so so _tired_... maybe if he offlined his optics for awhile, everything would be alright. Just for a few seconds...  

_ 'Don’t you dare.'_

Dimmed optics immediately brightened, shock filling him. Optimus whipped his head from side to side, looking around him as time seemed to slow. Both Decepticons and Autobots barely moved. Shots stopped midair, their trajectory obvious now. They were heading straight at him. All sounds- explosions, screams, yells- were distorted. 

Optimus tried to stand up, but even he was affected. 

_'Don’t you dare, you hear me?'_  

That voice again, close and angry. But his optics couldn’t see its owner. 

_ 'If you give up now, Ah will make sure you regret it for eternity.' _

Then... there was pressure around his arm, and he felt himself being lifted. But when he looked... he still saw nothing.  

Slowly, everything returned to normal. Noises assaulted him, and the shots that had been fired gained speed. The mechs and humans around him started moving again. The grasp on his arm tightened until he was on his pedes again. But there was still no way he was going to avoid the shots. 

Until he was pulled to the side with such force that he was sent tumbling. 

The shots regained their natural speed at the last moment. Grazing his frame and leaving only thin scorch marks. Falling to the ground, Optimus automatically rolled on his side, coming up to a kneeling position, his blaster out. Taking careful aim, he shot two of the Decepticons that were surrounding him. 

The servo still holding on to his blade was suddenly moving on its own, lifting above his head... and deflecting the fall of a spear that would have embedded itself in his neck. 

Acting quickly, Optimus dropped the blaster on his other servo and unsheathed his other blade, swinging his arm to cut the third Decepticon down.  

Panting, Optimus stood over the greying frame, optics searching his surroundings. The rest of the Autobots were dispatching the remaining Decepticons, the humans already calling for clean up and taking care of their injured. 

Seeing he was alright, no one bothered to approach him, preferring on making sure the threat had been neutralized. Optimus stood silently, staring around him in search of a sign, any sign to explain...

_'Don’t ever think about giving up again. Slagging idiot.'_ The breeze seemed to carry those words, caressing his plating and as it did, Optimus felt his exhaustion, his hopelessness and his grief being taken away.

 The Prime offlined his optics, smiling behind his battle mask.

“Thank you old friend. You were loyal to the end, and beyond. Rest now. I will go on, never again will I let doubt and pain bring me down. You have my word.” 

The air seemed to hum with a very familiar grunt, and the presence he had felt near him for months was now so glaringly obvious in its sudden absence.

Optimus let himself have a moment of despair at the loss, but he was true to his word. He took a deep breath to regain his composure. Then, filled with determination andnew found strength, he onlined his optics, and took a step forward. 


End file.
